


Request

by AngelQueen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Friendship, Gen, episode-related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-09
Updated: 2011-04-09
Packaged: 2017-10-17 19:45:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelQueen/pseuds/AngelQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin felt like someone had slammed a sword into his gut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Request

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before 2x13 _The Last Dragonlord_ aired, and was based off of the episode's press release.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** _Merlin_ is the property of the BBC and Shine. I make no claim on it and write this purely for entertainment purposes.

The man was tall, perhaps taller than any other man Merlin had met. His dark hair was streaked with grey and tied back at the nape of his neck, and he was clad head to toe in black. Though Merlin could not see his face, he could feel his magic stirring within him. He was fairly certain he had found Balinor, the last of the Dragonlords.

Merlin knew he should backtrack into the tunnels of the caves, should find Arthur and bring him here, but he made no move to do so. “Are…” he hesitated, then continued, “are you Lord Balinor?”

The man kept his back to him, lighting the many candles on the table in front of him, which filled the cavern with a strange, eerie glow. “There are few left who know me by that name. Who are you to use it and disturb my solitude?”

“I… I am the servant of –”

“I did not ask who you serve, boy,” Balinor cut him off. “I asked who _you_ were.” Slowly, he turned around to face him. “How can you ask who I am if you do not know who _you_ are?”

Merlin swallowed hard as he stared at the older man’s face. He had likely been an extremely handsome man in his youth, and his old age made him stately, the deep scar along the side of his face notwithstanding. Still, it was his eyes that were his most starling feature. They were dark, almost black, but ringed with gold. Much like the Dragon’s eyes, now that Merlin thought about it.

“My name is Merlin,” he finally said. “Son of Hunith of Ealdor.”

Balinor seemed to pause and his eyes noticeably sharpened. “I see,” he said slowly, and Merlin could hear a subtle shift in the man’s voice. It softened, however slightly. “Then yes, I am Lord Balinor. Why have you sought me out, Merlin, son of Hunith?”

“I need your help. A dragon is attacking Camelot.”

Balinor nodded. “So he is free now, is he? Well, what do you expect, Merlin, son of Hunith? That dragon has been imprisoned for nearly as long as you have been alive. Of course he wishes revenge on his jailer.”

“You can stop him,” Merlin stated. “Dragonlords have power over the dragons –”

“That is true, but why should I?” Balinor interrupted, his expression closed. “It is nothing to me if the Dragon avenges his imprisonment by annihilating Uther Pendragon’s bloodstained kingdom.”

Merlin opened his mouth to reply, grateful to finally be able to explain the situation, when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps coming from behind him. He turned just in time to see Arthur enter the cavern, his torch still in hand. Merlin watched the prince’s eyes dart between the two of them. “Merlin, you should have come and got me,” he said. “Is this him?”

Merlin glanced at Balinor, who was now staring hard at Arthur. “Yes, it is,” he said hesitantly, wary of the sudden shift in the air as Balinor gazed upon Arthur.

“Good,” Arthur replied. He handed Merlin the torch and stepped forward. “Lord Balinor, I am Arthur, Crown Prince of Camelot –”

Arthur didn’t have a chance to finish the sentence. Balinor waved his hand at him and an invisible force shoved him back. Arthur stumbled under the assault, but did not fall.

“I have no desire to speak with the son of the man who betrayed and murdered my people,” Balinor stated, his tone frigid.

Merlin watched as Balinor raised his hand again, could feel the waves of magic pouring off the other man, and thrust himself forward, shouting, “Wait!”

Balinor paused and stared at Merlin. “You defend him?” he asked, his voice deceptively quiet. “The son of Uther Pendragon?”

Merlin nodded emphatically. “He is my friend.” He did not expect Balinor’s reaction.

He laughed. It was not pleasant laughter, but full of bitterness. “You think that will save you?” he asked. “Pendragons do not hesitate to betray their friends. You of all people should know that, considering your father and his fate.”

Merlin tensed, his hand tightening around the torch. “My father? What are you talking about?”

Balinor’s chuckles ceased and his eyes narrowed. “You do not know?” he demanded. “Surely your mother told you of your father?”

“No, she never speaks of him.”

The Dragonlord did not respond immediately, though the shock was apparent on his face. “Hunith,” he murmured, “you never told him? By the gods, woman…”

Arthur had been remarkably quiet during Merlin’s exchange with Balinor, but now he stepped forward again, coming up beside him. “What is all of this about, Merlin?”

Merlin shrugged. “No idea.”

Balinor returned his attention to them at that point, and Merlin saw displeasure spread across his face as he gazed at Arthur. “Very well, I see I shall have to explain all of this to you, since your mother and mentor have neglected to do so.” He turned on his heel, moving toward a split in the cavern wall. “Come.”

“Merlin, we don’t have _time_ for this,” Arthur said. “Camelot cannot hold for much longer –”

“But we need his help, Arthur,” Merlin interjected. “If we’re to ask his help, we have to let him speak. And if he knew my father…”

Arthur sighed. “Fine, but we have to hurry.”

They followed Balinor into another cavern nearby, which was filled with what appeared to be his personal possessions. He waved toward a table and chairs. “Sit,” he ordered. Slowly, they did so. It was several moments before Balinor turned back toward him. “Listen well, Merlin, son of Hunith… known to many as Emrys.”

Something went cold inside Merlin’s chest. That name… a name that both intrigued and frightened him. The name the Druid boy had called him, the name the Dragon had said was but one of many names. It had never sat well with him before, and even less so now.

“When Uther claimed Camelot, he faced many threats, from both within and outside his kingdom. He sought any and all allies he could, gaining them in the form of the court of the Old Religion, which included the priests of that group as well as their allies, the Dragonlords.” Balinor’s eyes were distant as he spoke. “We treasured his friendship, believed him to be the one the prophecies spoke of, the one who would unite the land of Albion once and for all. We taught him our ways, showed him how to tame the dragons. He was especially close to our leader, Ambrosius.”

Merlin stiffened. He knew precious little about his father, but he knew his name – Ambrosius. His _father_ was a Dragonlord, was _friends_ with _Uther_?

Balinor’s tone darkened. “But for all that Uther gained for himself, his queen could not give him his greatest desire – a child. The high priestess of the Old Religion intervened after Uther pleaded for her help. He got his child, but lost his lady in the process. Uther then turned on everyone associated with the magic that had wrought the world he now lived in.”

Merlin could hear Arthur’s increasingly heavy breathing, and could well understand it. They had already heard this, courtesy of Morgause’s manipulation of an image of the Lady Igraine. _Not again…_

“These are all filthy lies!” Arthur snarled. “I have already been made to hear this once, and from an image of my own mother no less. I will not do so again!” He started to stand.

“Sit down.” Balinor’s voice was colder and harsher than Uther’s had ever been. “I well know what the sorceress Morgause did to you, little prince. She manipulated the situation, ‘tis true, but not all her words were lies. You were conceived through magic, and the laws of magic require that for every life given, another must be taken. The priestess Nimueh did not explain this fully to your father, and thus he was unprepared for your mother to die. Uther is guilty of many things, but knowingly and willfully sacrificing his wife is not one of them.”

Merlin watched Arthur warily, well remembering what had happened last time this subject had come up. He honestly did not think he would be able to talk Arthur down again if he should attack his father…

Arthur slowly sat back down, his face pale and his eyes glittering dangerously.

“As I was saying,” Balinor continued. “Uther turned on all magic users, beginning with the sorcerers within Camelot. Nimueh was banished, but the others were not spared, save Gaius, who swore never to use magic again.” Balinor snorted. “As though it was that easy. Time passed and Camelot was stained with the blood of those who had helped to build it. Then Uther turned on the Dragonlords, killing any and all he could find.”

Balinor paused, looking at Merlin closely. Something trembled inside him.

“Ambrosius considered Uther a friend even then, and believed he could stop him, convince him to give up this bloody crusade. Before he traveled to Camelot, however, he sent his wife and little son out of the kingdom.” Balinor’s smile was bitter. “He may have trusted Uther with his life, but not with the lives of his family. Ambrosius left once they were safely away… and was killed within the week.” Balinor closed his eyes. “His head adorned the walls of Camelot with several other Dragonlords.”

Merlin couldn’t breathe.

* * *

Arthur couldn’t breathe.

He wanted nothing more than to denounce Balinor’s words as lies, to take Merlin and leave, but he could not. This man was the only hope for Camelot.

He turned to look at Merlin. He was white, whiter than Arthur had ever seen him. His hands were flat on the table in front of him, but were still visibly trembling.

“My… father…” Merlin murmured.

Arthur closed his eyes briefly. If this was true, then he could very well count another friend whose parent had been killed because of his father’s war on magic. Gwen’s father, Morgana’s father too… now Merlin’s?

“Uther Pendragon’s crimes deserve punishment,” Balinor said quietly. Arthur looked at him, but his strange eyes were locked on Merlin. “You would have me save that man? Have me kill one of the few that are left of my kin?”

Arthur blinked. “Kin?”

Balinor glanced at him, then narrowed his eyes, considering. “I see your father has kept you ignorant of even the most basic information of magical sects,” he all but sneered. “Clearly he is a fool. Ignorance can just as easily be your death as a sword or arrow, child.”

Arthur gritted his teeth in annoyance, but did not lash out over the condescension.

“Dragons are some of the oldest creatures to roam the earth,” Balinor explained. “Their time stretches back to even before humans awoke to consciousness, but when humans began to master the world, the dragons did their best to adapt. The more powerful of them worked to take on human form, to maintain their place in a changing world. These were the first Dragonlords.

“They maintained a place in societies of all kinds, from here to the distant lands beyond the Saxons and the other barbarians. In nearly all, they were honored for their representation of the ancient race. Dragonlords were also the only ones who could deal with rogue dragons, to protect people from their rampages.” Balinor stared hard at Arthur. “My kind have done this for untold centuries. We took in your father, taught him our ways. Ambrosius, our leader, considered him a dear friend, a man he could trust, and look where that got him. Murdered, his son completely ignorant of his heritage, and his people driven to extinction. You would have me save the man responsible for that?”

Arthur opened his mouth, but then closed it again. In all honesty, how could he ask that? Yet again, Arthur found himself looking at the consequences of his father’s war on all things magical and wondering if it was worth it. The sorceress Morgause’s actions concerning his mother and the taking away of Morgana were heinous, and so had been the actions of the sorceress Nimueh, whose refusal to speak of the full consequences of creating a child with magic had started all of this. Still, his father’s reaction, blaming even those who’d had no hand in the events, had caused untold pain and suffering.

He had told Merlin that all those who practiced magic were evil, that Morgause’s actions and Merlin’s loyalty had ended his sympathies. Perhaps he was wrong, though. None of it made sense, and it did not speak well of his father’s honor.

“No, I wouldn’t.” It wasn’t Arthur who spoke, though. It was Merlin. Arthur turned to look at him, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Merlin’s bright blue eyes were glassy and full of tears, and his voice was shaking and breaking. “I am not… asking you to save Uther Pendragon,” he said quietly. “I am asking you to spare those who are innocent in all of this. The people…” Merlin took a deep breath, continuing, “the people are not responsible for the sins of their king. They do not deserve to suffer the dragon’s vengeance.”

Merlin looked up at Balinor. “I can’t believe my father would want innocent people to suffer in the name of revenge. Please, help _them_.”

Not for the first time, Arthur was struck by how… _good_ Merlin was. He was clearly suffering, learning what his father’s fate had been, and yet he still pled and worked on Camelot’s behalf. How was it that he could do this?

“Uther is responsible for protecting his people,” Balinor countered. “He well knows our ways. He used them to wipe out the dragons long ago. For all I know, this is an attempt to capture me while also getting rid of the dragon.” The Dragonlord nodded pointedly toward Arthur. “The fact that Uther sent his son of all people to ask this of me is not at all reassuring.”

Merlin shook his head. “Arthur is not like his father.”

Once upon a time, Arthur would have taken that as an insult, but in Merlin’s voice, it was clear that his dissimilarity was a good thing. “He will be a great king to _all_ ,” Merlin added firmly, full of conviction.

Merlin’s faith, it seemed, was even now unshakable.

Balinor remained silent for several minutes, considering his options. Finally, he bowed his head. “So be it,” he murmured. “The last Dragonlord will ride to war one final time, as his chieftain’s son asks. But remember, Emrys, the dragons are in your blood. You will have to deal with that one day.”

Merlin nodded, but Arthur wondered if he even recognized the words.

Then Balinor turned to Arthur. He said nothing, but then Arthur heard the words nonetheless.

 _You too will have to deal with what is in his blood, young Pendragon. I only hope you are worthy of his devotion and you will not scorn him for what he is._


End file.
